Oh Alice!

Chapter 10

Alice wasn't sure what time it was or how long they had been riding, she just knew her butt was getting sore. It had been a few years since she had been riding, she was slightly out of practice. She had nearly fallen off twice and only one of those times was her fault. Ana had departed from the group to stretch her wings, against Anderson and Morrisa's wishes. She wasn't paying too much attention to that; her focus was on Luke. He had need avoiding talking to her since they left Morrisa's house. Part of her understood his confusion with all of this and wished she could help him somehow. But a bigger part starting to understand what this meant. Her love confession was real, but she was still starting to doubt it. And now she couldn't talk to her best friend about it.

"Hey Anderson, how much longer?" Alice asked bringing her horse up next to his. He didn't seem excited to still be on a horse either. He groaned and checked his watch, Alice's eyes flicked over it.

"Its 7:15 in the morning. Its now Wednesday the 12th." He snapped it shut, as if to end all conversation. He wasn't much of a talker right now, Alice thought as she rolled her eyes. Everyone was hiding something, and it was starting to annoy her. Something clicked in her head and she forgot all about their secrets.

"DAD!" She yelled, startling everyone on in the ground. David straightened on his angry horse, trotting up next to Alice. "I almost forgot what today is!"

"There are kind of more important things going on, honey. We can always celebrate when we are all back together."

"Celebrate what? Why is she yelling?" Morri turned around in her saddle, looking more annoyed than Anderson with her hand resting on the handle of her sword.

"Its Dads birthday! Me and Mom had been planning a surprise party down town at Carla's Pizza Place. I'm sorry Dad." She hung her head, heavy with guilt. None of them would be here in this mess if it wasn't for her.

"Honey that sounds awesome. We will get to do that when we get back to Cleardale. OK?" He rested his hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her.

Alice was about to answer when Eingana's roar signaled they had arrived. They were still in the forest but the faint sound of waves crashing confirmed it. Alice had only seen the ocean once, her and Morrisa had had an adventure playing in the waves, finding shells, and building sand castles. She remembered the memory fondly- the smell of the salt in the air, the sound of the birds and waves. As they emerged from the tree line on to open beach, the sun shining bright on its rise still, Alice realized she had been here before.

"I know where we are!" She shouted as she abandoned her horse and the group, running for the water. She could hear the others yelling at her to come back but she didn't care. She spent her whole life away from the place she fit in most, she could be selfish for a few moments. Couldn't she?

She sat on the edge of the water, waves creeping up the beach and then retreating mere inches from her feet. Closing her eyes, Alice ran her fingers through the sand, holding tight to the memories of her childhood that came back in small ripples. She heard footsteps, many sets of them. Oh well, let them worry.

"Why are you sitting in the sand?" Ana asked as she sat next to Alice. She knew the others were close by, eyes still closed the tilted her head back, letting the rising sun warm her face.

"Ana, I know where we are. Morri and I have been here before. I always wanted to come here with you and go swimming." Alice was whispering, unsure why but she knew Ana could still hear her. "I don't get why this is happening now."

"Sometimes life knows what you need before you do." She laughed, laying back in the sand. She untied Alice's braids, letting them fall out into wild waves and curls. "That's how we met. You didn't need me, but you did."